Who takes cheese with them? I am wondering what kind of cheese to take in for pizzas and how do you keep it?

Thanks

We use string cheese sticks and cut them up for pizza. We keep them cold in a small coozie/cooler with a cold pack. It will keep for a few days more after the cold pack gets warm. Any of the hard cheeses will keep for a very long time without any refrigeration. Even some of the soft cheeses will keep for quite awhile if you wrap it in cheese cloth.

We take all kinds of cheese and some of the softer ones the oil separates but still tastes fine. Cheddars and parm keep well; the goudas in wax are popular.

Individually wrapped string cheese is fine to take unrefrigerated, and it's what I have used for pizza.

I've carried string cheese and some shelf stable parmesan for pizza had it out for 5 days without refrigeration and had no problems.

I take cheese all the time! Never had any issues with cheese on trips up to 21 days. The drier cheese keep better -- and make sure that you get good quality, wear gloves when repackaging the cheese and soak the cheese cloth in vinegar before wrapping and sealing. It will be just fine!

Take all cheeses even Cream cheese in the plastic container keeps fine. We have had it out there in BWCA for 7days no sweat.

quote CrookedPaddler1: "I take cheese all the time! Never had any issues with cheese on trips up to 21 days. The drier cheese keep better -- and make sure that you get good quality, wear gloves when repackaging the cheese and soak the cheese cloth in vinegar before wrapping and sealing. It will be just fine!"

A lesson please on your method? I'm curious.

We also take string cheese in different flavors for recipes. For our cheese & cracker lunches we bring smoked cheeses-smoked Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar etc. They are harder & drier than other cheeses. Wax covered cheeses work well too. Parmesan & Romano blocks stay fresh for a long time and add lots of flavor.

quote Swampturtle: " we bring smoked cheeses-smoked Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar etc. They are harder & drier than other cheeses. "

Mozzarella is not a hard dry cheese and will not keep as well. They do OK as string cheese but try to keep them cool and out of the sun.

I take hard cheese like Parmesan and cut up pieces for the top of the pizza. Romano cheese also keeps well.

Smoked cheeses are a good choice. They are harder (drier) than fresh cheese and will last.

I take cream cheese and use it for desserts. I'll take a pound cake mix and pour the batter into my outback oven. Next,I put the soft cream cheese in a plastic bag, add powdered sugar, mix them together by kneading the bag, then clip a corner off of the bag and squeeze the cream cheese mixture onto the top of the batter. when the cake cooks, it puffs up and cooks around the cream cheese. Voila!!! Pound cake with cream cheese filling. It's awesome.

Terry

quote Dances with Sheep: "

quote Swampturtle: " we bring smoked cheeses-smoked Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar etc. They are harder & drier than other cheeses. "

Mozzarella is not a hard dry cheese and will not keep as well. They do OK as string cheese but try to keep them cool and out of the sun."

Smoked mozzarella...is drier and harder than regular mozzarella.

There is also this...
Freeze dried mozzarella cheese

What would be a good cheese to take for tacos? I intend to make chicken tacos for dinner 2 nights of our trip and bacon, egg & cheese tacos for breakfast twice. I assumed I would be best to go with a hard cheese and cut it up while the meal is cooking, then let guys pick as much as they need.

Cheddar would work or even some of the crumble goat cheese. It will last if you keep it cool and have it in the cheese cloth as stated above.

quote Swampturtle: "

Smoked mozzarella...is drier and harder than regular mozzarella.

"

That sounds good! I'll give it a try this year.

Thanks

quote billconner: "

quote CrookedPaddler1: "I take cheese all the time! Never had any issues with cheese on trips up to 21 days. The drier cheese keep better -- and make sure that you get good quality, wear gloves when repackaging the cheese and soak the cheese cloth in vinegar before wrapping and sealing. It will be just fine!"

A lesson please on your method? I'm curious."

This was a trick I picked up the Voyager Outward Bound School. It is really as basic as it seems. Put the plastic gloves on when handling the bulk cheese to prevent human oils from coming in contact with the cheese. Soak the cheese cloth (available at most grocery stores) in some vinegar. Ring out the cheese cloth and wrap tightly around the cheese. We then put ours in a zip lock bag, with as much air removed as possible.

I have found that working with the drier cheeses (motzerella works especially well) they will keep and not seperate in even the warmest conditions. Again, a high quality will keep better than some of the refrigerated grocery store cheeses.

quote Dances with Sheep: "

quote Swampturtle: "


Smoked mozzarella...is drier and harder than regular mozzarella.


"

That sounds good! I'll give it a try this year.


Thanks"

Smoked mozzarella

This is the brand we have at our local grocery store. We take it on every trip.
Another unique hard cheese is ricotta salata, it looks like a hunk of Parmesan/Romano, but has a milder flavor. It's ricotta cheese that has been dried and aged. Good to shave into meals.
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Great information on the vinager soak method, thanks for that. Vinager is a disinfectant and keeps bacteria from growing. Sometimes simple is best..good reminder.

I made my own wet bag from a pair of old jeans, dip it in the lake and hang in the shade in a breeze for evaporative cooling.
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For your tacos, browse around your local grocery store in the cheese section. There are lots of options of string cheese-jalapeno, cheddar twist, Monterey Jack. We like spicy food, but not every day, so give people an option.

24 karat...did you say cream cheese pound cake? You need to post that in the dessert section..really. Thank you!

Do any of you smoke your own cheese? I run my smoker quite a bit but haven't tried cheese yet.

quote CrookedPaddler1: "
This was a trick I picked up the Voyager Outward Bound School. It is really as basic as it seems. Put the plastic gloves on when handling the bulk cheese to prevent human oils from coming in contact with the cheese. Soak the cheese cloth (available at most grocery stores) in some vinegar. Ring out the cheese cloth and wrap tightly around the cheese. We then put ours in a zip lock bag, with as much air removed as possible.

I have found that working with the drier cheeses (motzerella works especially well) they will keep and not seperate in even the warmest conditions. Again, a high quality will keep better than some of the refrigerated grocery store cheeses."

Like a lot of wraps - layers - with the cheese cloth? Think a vacuum sealer would be even better than zip lock? Refrigerate before you go? Does the cheesecloth burn or pack out?

I'm a cheese-a-holic - what can I say.

Pickles comic strip

quote rupprider: "Do any of you smoke your own cheese? I run my smoker quite a bit but haven't tried cheese yet."

I know people that do this...90' low & slow, wrap & refrigerate when done to let the smoke permeate the cheese. The hard part is the waiting. Here is a link to step by step instructions.
Smoking cheese